Courage in the Dark
by Glyndwr
Summary: Kuzon was just a teenager when the war broke out. He was just a teenager when his best friend was murdered. And he was just a teenager when he received summons from Firelord Sozin.


Summary: Kuzon was just a teenager when the war broke out. He was just a teenager when his best friend was murdered. And he was just a teenager when he received summons from Firelord Sozin.

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Courage in the Dark

Kuzon shivered on the cold, black stone. He had heard stories about Firelord Sozin—of his honorable deeds, of his god-like presence, of his prowess in battle. Who hadn't? But nothing could have ever prepared Kuzon for the real thing. The grey beard that was neatly trimmed and did little to hide the cheeks sunken in age. The wrinkled hand that rested on the great arms of the Dragon Throne with a surprising delicacy that might have suggested underlying weakness in any other man. The bright golden eyes that gleamed in the smoke-filled room, like the eyes of some terrible beast straight from a spirit story, never mind that their color mirrored Kuzon's own.

Kuzon ducked his head, unable to bear the gaze of those same eyes that had watched the Air Temples, watched Gyatso, watched _Aang_ go up in flames any longer. He was sixteen and just too young to die.

"I take it that you are Kuzon," Firelord Sozin said.

Kuzon winced. "Y-yes, my lord, I am he."

"That same Kuzon who is well known to be a friend of the Air Nomads?" The Firelord's voice was light, but it was light like the breeze that stirred up the firestorm.

Kuzon didn't dare not answer. "Aye, Firelord, I—I knew many."

Firelord Sozin leaned back, frail-looking hand folding beneath his chin. "You must understand, young Kuzon, that you have put me in a difficult position. Six months ago, I ordered the destruction of the Air Temples, the annihilation of the airbenders, and the burning of all knowledge of the Air Nomad's ways and teachings. Do you know why?"

"To break the cycle of elements forever and anon, so as to be rid of that traitor, the Avatar," Kuzon parroted, barely containing his own bitterness. The propaganda that had been spread shortly before the arrival of the Comet had been particularly brutal, especially to those who called themselves friends of the airbenders.

"Very much so, young Kuzon. And yet, tell me, what happens when I have a subject, a loyal and law-abiding one, I presume, who knows much of airbending, who knew many airbenders, who is a threat to the continued existence of my country? Should I let him live? Or should I simply kill him, as I have killed all the others like him, and be rid of the problem?"

The words were out of Kuzon's mouth before he could stop them, "I don't want to die!"

Sozin smiled, his teeth gleaming like an ancient dragon opening its great maw. "I think we can avoid such a thing, young one, if you can find it within yourself to tell me everything you ever knew of the Air Nomads."

Kuzon started. "But, but the Air Temples were destroyed! Everyone died, and _you_—!" Kuzon shook his head. "What knowledge I have is useless to you, Firelord, as all the Nomads are gone." Gone, like ash in the wind.

"True, the temples were destroyed, but the Air Nomads were a cowardly people. They would have had other places they could to run to, to hide in, surely, besides their great, but alas, so very well known temples."

Kuzon's first wild thought was that Aang might still be alive! And others might have lived too—they must have!—and that meant Master Gyatso could still be alive; because if anyone at all had survived the attack, it would have been him! And Kuzon could find them, hide them, keep them all safe from the Fire Nation and…

And yet, something dark lurked in the back of Kuzon's mind. An awful, ghastly memory that had eaten at his resolve since he first laid eyes on the Firelord's summons. The memory of being fire-years-old and watching a man torn limb from limb by ravenous hyena-wolves, of that same man screaming and still horribly _alive_ when those men clad in dark red hoods spilled his intestines all over the earthen square, of hearing the cheering and oohing of little children like himself, of the cackling old ladies shouting "Off with 'is 'ead! Off with 'is 'ead!"

A traitor's death.

Kuzon was not a coward! He wasn't! He just didn't want to die, and even then it took great courage to meet Sozin the Destroyer's golden eyes and say, "My lord, I do not know of their hidden places, but if you wish it, I shall tell you everything I ever learned of the Air Nomads."

And as Firelord Sozin's draconic smile widened, Kuzon knew he never, ever, ever wanted to see Aang again. Not in the next world, but especially not in this one.

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AN: Written in part because the creators of Avatar only deigned to mention Kuzon once, which is a real shame.


End file.
